This agreement provides funding from the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the blackfeet tribe

This Cooperative Agreement award, provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program (CFDA 66.920), will fund the Blackfeet Environmental Program to develop a solid waste circular economy on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. The $1,228,437 award, effective May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2027, will support the following key activities: 1) purchasing and operating a tire shredder to clean up tire waste, 2) purchasing recycling bins and a glass crusher to expand recycling and create value-added glass products, 3) developing an organic composting system to collect organics and create compost for community gardens, and 4) conducting community education and outreach. The anticipated outcomes include reducing tire waste, increasing recycling and composting, and creating new recycled products and community gardens to benefit residents of the Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy's Reservations.

EPA's solid waste infrastructure for recycling (swifr) grants for tribes and intertribal consortia will fund projects that focus on encouraging environmentally sound post-consumer materials management, fund projects that will result in a decrease in the generation of municipal solid waste and/or an increase in the diversion of municipal solid waste from landfills and incineration; and/or fund projects that provide or expand access to source reduction, reuse, recycling, backhaul, anaerobic digestion, and composting for tribes and tribal members of intertribal consortia. The purpose of this award is to enhance the efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. Specifically, the recipient will develop a solid waste circular economy on the blackfeet reservation with outreach efforts confirmed with fort belknap and rocky BOY reservations by expanding recycling programs and researching and developing markets for end products. The tribes will concentrate on shredding tires into usable chips, composting wood and green waste to create huuml; gelkultur garden beds, and crushing and tumbling glass into a high end value added product.activities:the activities to be performed are to: 1) purchase and operate a tire shredder to clean up trash tire waste. 2) purchase recycling bins and glass crusher to recycle and crush glass for use and sale. 3) develop organic composting system to collect organics and create compost, along with community garden projects. 4) community education and outreach. 5) create training manuals and videos.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include: cleanup 5 trash tire sites. Expand recycling and composting. Hold community meetings. Create and share training materials. The expected outcomes include: reduction in trash tires in community, creation of tire crumb resource for landscaping and construction. Collection of glass and creation of crushed glass for use and sale. Collection of organics and creation of compost. Creation of community gardens. Education of community on recycling and composting options, and benefits to environment and community. Training and dispersal of information regarding new recycling systems and products. The intended beneficiaries include residents of the blackfeet reservation, fort belknap reservation, and rocky boys reservation, as well as general human health and the environment.